William A. Stricklin Libri

About the Book Guests of Margaret B. and James F. Bowman of the San Francisco Chronicle were invited to Sunday breakfasts that often lasted all day into dinner with lots of wine. Sunday breakfasts tripled in size, attracting some of the most talented writers and artists of the city, including three women, Margaret Bowman, actress Elizabeth Crocker Bowers, and California's Poet Laureate and first librarian of The Bohemian Club Ina Coolbrith. Margaret and James' breakfasts included women and men. If we may, let us lay aside all our quibbles about who is, and who is not, "a Founder." The Bohemian Club's Historian has never listed a woman among the Founders, nor has a woman been given full membership in the Club. The first, second, third and fourth women among the Club's Founders were the gracious hostess of the Sunday breakfasts, Margaret B. Bowman, wife of Founder James F. Bowman; Sara Jane Lippincott (pen name Grace Greenwood) Elizabeth Crocker Bowers, the actress wife of actor David P. Bowers; and Josephine Donna Smith California's Poet Laureate, first in the United States (pen name Ina Coolbrith). Since Ina Coolbrith's death in 1928, actress Helen Hayes came close, but no woman has become a Club member. Honorary members and female guests are allowed inside the "City Club" building and as daytime guests of Bohemian Grove, but not to the upper floors of the City Club nor as guests during "summer encampment".